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| Hummingbird and fuchsia Photo by Wayne Pridemore |
Bird Lady Christine Southwick responds:
Many females may be on nests right now -- I have just this week seen two newbies. The males are not engaging in mating displays, so they are not so obvious.
Plus, and this may be a big plus, more people put out hummingbird feeders in the spring and summer (they need the feeders more in the winter) so there are more food options, including flowers.
Anna's hummingbirds feed what is called "drip-line feeding" meaning that each hummingbird visits daily most-to-all of the local feeders in their territory, so they spend less time at each feeder.
The best way to ensure that hummingbirds are coming to your yard, plant shrubs and flowers that hummingbirds like, and have running water (fountain). And keep your feeders active in the cold months.
Hummingbirds are homing. If you feed them regularly, they will come back. I have four at my house and feed everyday, all day until just before dusk. Keep their feeders clean and if use sugar to make your oen feed, do not use powdered sugar, it contains cornstarch and will cause fermentation. They are wild and aggressive enough, they don't need to be drunk also. ��
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